Page 74 - Wonderful Creatures: Children! Have You Ever Thought ?

WONDERFUL CREATURES

res are covered with spines, which

are used as a means of defense.
They live on seashores, in coral

reefs and on the seabed. These
creatures also produce their own

light to protect themselves against
their enemies. Having luminous

arms or spines, they can also produ-
ce clouds of light in the water when

they are attacked.

The most interesting feature of luminescent mari-
ne creatures is probably the fact that they use their light

to mislead others. A starfish species is a good example of this. This
starfish species lives about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) deep in the sea.

It emits bright green-blue light from the tip of its arms. This gleaming
warning notifies its enemies that it is not tasty. Another starfish spe-

cies starts flashing when it is attacked and detaches and throws one
of its arms towards the enemy to divert it. The attention of its enemy

is distracted by the torn arm, which still emits white light. In the
meantime the starfish finds the time to flee.

As we have seen in the few examples given above, the mechanisms in
living creatures that enable them to produce light demonstrate to us

the perfect creation of Allah. What have been mentioned here are
creatures that live underwater, the dominant component of whose

bodies is usually water – as in our own bodies – and that cannot pos-

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